After the Candles Go Out
by KatDiva
Summary: Hachi is in love with Trapnest's bad boy...while Blast's Nobu and Shin try to protect her from herself, she is torn between lust, love and loyalty. [HachixTakumi] Work in Progress
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: RATED MATURE FOR A REASON! NO ONE UNDER 18 SHOULD READ ANY FURTHER.**

Gomen. I should not be using a chapter for this note, but I felt I must explain something upfront as this grows into fruition.

This story was intended to be a one-shot, but I received several email requests for me to expand it. Therefore, I decided to give it a go, and see where it takes me.

Since it had already started out with Volume 8 of the manga, I had to try and backtrack. It was then I decided to take the "_Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi_" approach, writing and presenting chapters out of sequence, and let the reader try and follow along.

Please forgive my creative license I took with this approach, I hope it doesn't drive you too crazy!

That said, I also feel I must explain my feelings toward Hachi.

There are many Hachi haters out there, and even more Takumi haters. That's ok, these characters don't really belong to me anyway, I am just borrowing them for cathartic purposes. However I do love the Hachi and Takumi relationship. Yes, he's a bastard without scruples at times; he's arrogant, selfish and unable to express himself unless it's with his music... but I love him for all his flaws. He's human, and even though you might think it's for his outrageously delicious looks, or his unbelievably sexy hair, or his suave charm with women, or any of the other 250 reasons there are, it really boils down to my gut. My gut likes him. My libido loves him. ;-)

I don't promote infidelity, and am strongly against it. But Hachi is still growing... she's in her early 20's and trying to figure out life! Give her a break!

In regards to Nobu and Shin, these are two men in Hachi's life that helped form her as a mother and an full fledged adult. (This is conjecture on my part, since I'm only on volume 16 now, awaiting volume 17, and it's now November 2006)! HINT HINT! LOL

But my understanding is that Nobu and Shin will always love Hachi, and Hachi will always love them. They indeed play an important role in my story.

Consider this a "Behind the Scenes" story that delves deeper than the anime or manga, and comes solely from my own twisted perceptions of love, loss, and heartbreak.

Lastly, I'm not Japanese, and have never been to Japan, so please excuse any of misuse of the language, places or names.

Ja Ne!

PS. I work for reviews. Yep, I'm a review whore. So the more the reviews, the faster the story gets written. I would appreciate some insight as to what you liked, what you hated, and what your favorite game to play is... j/k on the last one!


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me... they belong to Yazawa Ai. **

**Spoilers**: Based on Volume 13 of the Nana Manga

_**"After the Candles Go Out"**_

"Is Nana here?" Takumi asked in a very serious tone… no smile, no congeniality.

"What do you want?" the other Nana demanded… she was Hachi's protector, she didn't like this man, and she hated the way he always tried to interfere between her and Hachi.

"Nothing to do with you." Takumi coldly replied. The less he had to deal with Nana O. the better.

His Nana came running to the door and said, "I'm sorry Takumi, for doing things without asking!" She had felt so bad about angering him. She knew she had gone against his wishes and purposely stayed at the joint birthday party for Shin and Reira.

"Why are you apologizing!" Nana O. glared at her.

Hachi knew she had disrupted their world this evening. She had made everyone miserable by coming to the party…. No that's not true, she had only made Takumi and herself miserable.

"I'm going to stay here with Nana tonight." Hachi decided. She had disturbed his work life, and to Takumi that was his entire world.

She continued, "If my existence has become such a burden, I'll leave our house in Shirokane too! You don't even have to pay child support for the baby! I'll get by somehow on my own."

Takumi turned to her, "There's no need to go that far, I didn't ask for that. Come with me for a second."

Hachi ran down the hall following Takumi thinking, "If I can talk to him, I am sure he'll understand… he is not that cold of a person."

As soon as Hachi turned the corner Takumi grabbed her by the wrist and quickened his pace with his very long legs, Hachi had nearly run to keep up with him.

"You should have left when you had the chance," he said in a very low and menacing voice. He had her wrist in an iron clamped hold as he nearly dragged her down the hall. Hachi was frightened, but obediently tried to hurry down the hall in step with him. Was he angry because she was in Nana's room? No, he must be angry that she came to the party in the first place. Her mind outraced her heartbeat as she tried to think of something to say.

"Takumi," she started to plead.

"It's too late now, Nana. You had your chance to leave hours ago… You play, you pay!"

He swung open the hotel room door as the light on the door turned green and threw the card key across the room. In the same instant, he roughly swung his arm that was locked onto her wrist, which made Hachi crash up against the wall behind the door. He raised his arm up above his head, extending her arm with his, nailing her wrist to the wall with his grip. As she gasped with shock he covered her mouth fiercely with his, ravaging her very breath from her.

She breathed heavily as he broke the kiss, but he remained inches away from her face.

"Why don't you listen to me!" he demanded. "Why can't you just do what you're told, and be a good wife?"

Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized how much the back of her head hurt from being tossed so roughly against the wall. "Takumi! I'm sorry! I …" That was all she had a chance to say before he completely claimed her mouth with his. His tongue plundered her own as his free hand began to rip off her dress.

"Takumi, my dress!" she cried as he yanked her dress up past her thighs.

She wasn't ready for this barrage of anger, she didn't know how to make him stop. Her free hand began to push him away, and he grabbed it with his own and added it to her other imprisoned arm up against the wall.

"Not tonight, Nana! You don't get to tell me no, while you gaze longingly at another!" He wasn't the same man that spent hours making tender love to her now, he was some crazed maniac who couldn't see that he was hurting her. His free hand grabbled with his own belt and trousers to free himself. She whimpered as he forced himself into her.

Takumi had always been a passionate lover, and never once held back from her. If there was one thing that Takumi was a master of, besides his music, was making love. Not tonight, tonight he was dark. He was covered in a cloak of uncontrollable anger that possessed him.

His blood raced and he was blinded with emotion. He hated how he was taking her at this moment. He had never laid his hands on any other woman like this, by force. He never thought he would ever hurt her this way. He knew he was raping his own wife. No, not his wife, his soon to be wife… but now she talked about leaving him?

He couldn't bring himself to stop. He released his grip on her wrists, and pulled back her head by tugging on her hair. As she let out a cry he quickly drowned it with his mouth again, kissing her, as he drove in harder. God, he couldn't get believe he was doing this, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. She made him this way.

"Did you think I didn't see you looking at Nobu all night?" He demanded. "Did you think I didn't notice how your eyes clung to his?" The memory seared him as it flooded in, remembering the love he saw brimming from her eyes. He wanted her to be looking at him that way! He was supposed to be her husband, Dammit! She was carrying his child, not Nobu's!

"Damn you!" He cursed her, as he lifted her off the ground and walked to the bed while still inside her. He let her fall down onto the bed breaking their connection, and held her hands down again with one of his own. Her eyes were filled with tears, as she had them clasped closed. This wasn't the kind of love making that Takumi usually gave her. He had been forceful once before, but not like this, not so closed off to reason.

"Look at me, Nana!" He yelled at her. "Open your eyes and see only me!" But she didn't, she just continued to sob, and his anger was at full boil. He forced her legs apart and drove into her again and again. With each thrust she clamped her eyes more tightly and the tears streamed down into her hair.

"Takumi, please… stop." She was begging now.

"I won't be made a fool of Nana!" he lowered his voice as he lowered his mouth next to her left ear. "Do you hear me? I am not an idiot school boy!" He began biting his way down her neck, not in the gently nibbling way he usually did, but strongly sucking on her neck as he laid claim to it.

The shoulder straps of her dress had ripped, and he ran his hand across her bodice, as he exposed her. Then he lowered his mouth onto her left nipple, biting as he suckled it. He squeezed hard with his hand as he brought her mounded breast to his mouth. Once again he released her wrists as his newly freed hand reached down between them to find her tiny pleasure spot.

"I will not let you go, Nana. Not to Nobu, not to Shin, not to your family. You're mine. I will not let you go." His fingers found their home, as the pad of his middle finger rubbed her while still mounting her. She was slowly beginning to grow moist. He knew he had hurt her. He knew she had not been ready for him, but now her body was reacting to his touch. He didn't know why he had this uncontrollable anger when it came to Nana. No other woman drove him to be this way. No other woman had made him care about them the way he cared for Nana. He had never been in love before. They were merely outlets for his pleasure, but not Nana. He couldn't lose her. She would just have to understand that she was his, and carried his child. Not Nobu's child, but his!

The sobs stopped and a moan escaped as she felt a rush of heat coming from his persistence. She trembled as she felt him raise her legs higher so he could gain maximum access. Slowly like molten lava easing it's way up her body she began to feel the heat he was creating within her.

She hated how he was able to make her respond so quickly to him. "He could bring a woman back from the dead" she thought, as the shuddering electric jolts began to slowly rise from below and shoot through her. She tried backing up and away from him, not wanting to feel that rush of love that was spilling over her. Her own body was betraying her. But Takumi always knew when she was close to reaching her climax and he deeply kissed her as he quickened his pace, going deeper, and harder.

A memory of Nana embracing Shin at the party, and whispering something into his ear came crashing down on Takumi, and he groaned as he kissed her deeply. He knew she saw Shin as a surrogate son, but he was still jealous of their relationship. It seemed as if everyone wanted to take her away from him. Would he lose the only woman he has ever loved, along with his child? The only family he has ever known? She told him tonight that she would leave him… just like that.

He raised his head and leaned his forehead on hers, and whispered, "God, I love you Nana. Please…"

He stopped himself. He had never begged for anything. He would not start now. No matter how badly he needed her, how strongly she held him, nails digging into his back now. Hachi opened her eyes. She knew what he was trying to say, but couldn't.

She saw his eyes dark with desire and longing. She also saw his raw need for her, she knew he truly did love her, even now. Why did he think she was still in love with Nobu? Yes, she would always love Nobu, but not as she loved Takumi. Nobu was a dear, sweet, and kind companion. But she was no longer _in love_ with him. It was Takumi that consumed her. She understood now the pain and hurt that Takumi must have felt with his thoughts of her being with another man.

"This has nothing to do with Nobu, Takumi." Nana whispered. She wanted so badly to tell him more, she wanted to scream at him for being an idiot and not realizing how much she cared for him! She wanted to tell him, "I love you. I have _always_ loved you. I _will_ always love you." But he hurt her tonight. Not just physically, but emotionally as well.

He burned again with the scorching image of his Nana watching Nobu when she said his name. She had made love to this other man as well. Nobu knew her just as he had. He had seen her naked body, seen how her face glows as she makes love. Takumi leaned down lower, and kissed Nana deeply, as he continued to work his magic with his hands.

"I'll make you forget Nobu," Takumi promised. Nobu would never have her again.

And with that he covered her with a wave of passion that she had never felt with any other man. She knew he was a hard man. She knew he would make her suffer in the future, because he was so proud, and unable to express himself. But she didn't care, she was his, and he wanted her. He loved her.

As soon as she had peaked, he came deeply within her, calling out her name. He dropped himself on top of her and then slowly lifted his weight off of her. His hair fell down onto her face and shoulders enclosing them like a curtain shutting them off from everything around them as his piercing eyes sought forgiveness for his rashness and his savage behavior. "Nana…" he began.

Hachi raised her finger to touch his lips.

"Shhh," she whispered.

"I… I…" He wanted to let her know he was so sorry for hurting her. He didn't want her to think of him as an animal. He wanted to tell her so much, but didn't know how.

"Takumi has to get back to the party. You have work to do." She answered him as best as she knew how, knowing he would probably end up trying to make up for tonight for several months to come. She closed her eyes as she thought of the many things he would try and do to apologize, the gifts he would buy and the attention he would give her. The man was so inept with words. Still, she wasn't quite ready to reassure him yet. Why should she assuage him after he just forced himself on her?

He laid down his head on top of her left breast, listening to her heart beat, as he held her closely to him. He remembered what she had told him at Nana's door, about leaving him.

"No matter where you go, I will find you. If you leave our home in Shirokane, I will find you." He didn't say it in a threatening manner, just as a matter of fact. He would not let her out of his life. He caressed her still flat belly, where their child grew. "I want you by my side forever."

Her hands slowly raked through his long hair, stroking him gently as she felt a calm trickle over her like a spring shower.

"You're not an Outsider Nana," he remembered the previous but unintentional offense of his, once calling her this name. He yawned as he squeezed her, "You're my home."

Hachi smiled as a tear trickled down her temple, "Welcome Home," she said groggily before joining him in his slumber.


	3. Chapter 2: Ebb and Flow

**Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, they belong to Ai Yazawa. **Also please forgive any Japanese names of places that I misspell, I don't speak Japanese, unfortunately!

**Flashback: **Takumi remembers back on the first night he had with Nana Komatsu, the night it all started for them.

_**Ebb and Flow**_

Takumi raised the pack of Gitanes to his mouth and gave it a shake so that one rose to his lips. He replaced the pack of cigarettes into his inner jacket chest pocket, and reached for the car lighter with his left hand as his right hand held the steering wheel. What a bore it is to be stuck in traffic again, and so early in the morning! It's not even dawn yet, and already Tokyo is alive with cars inching their way to their destinations.

He adjusted his rear view mirror idly, and took in his reflection. The telltale circles under his eyes revealed his lack of sleep last night, he admitted, and regretfully shook his head, tossing his silky, long hair back on the headrest of his Mercedes Jeep.

Why had he been so awful last night to Nana?

Why couldn't he accept her impetuousness, when he knew how she felt about Shin and the rest of her Black Stones friends?

"Because you don't want to risk losing her to them," he countered back, challenging his own reflection.

Did he expect her to kowtow to his every whim? Did he think she was supposed to stay home, just as the cliché 'barefoot and pregnant' demanded?

He puffed on the cigarette as the red coils from the lighter touched the tip, slowly burning the paper and tobacco as he inhaled it. He lazily exhaled as he thought of how he took advantage of her last night. The memory of the tumultuous sex they had caused him to push his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose, hiding not only the circles under his eyes, but also the naked remorse he could see in his own reflection.

He glanced at his watch and again at the congestion around him. He recalled another day, several months before when he had been stuck in traffic, and called Nana for the first time. He grinned as he recalled how nervous she was in the car sitting next to him.

The car ahead had barely moved in the five minutes. He closed his eyes, dragging deeply on his cigarette, and reached for the memory of a happier time.

"What a coincidence," he said to Hachi. He was so surprised to find her in Omote-sandou by random chance!

"Where should we go? Is it a problem if you get back late? Do you have the day off tomorrow?" He was trying to think of someplace nice to take her to dinner. But as he looked over at her, he saw her hand trembling with nervousness as she answered him. He tried calming her down, but she was so jittery, and her face was blushing scarlet, which made him actually start to feel nervous himself!

He had only intended to call her and thank her for the delicious meal that she had prepared for the group of friends the night before. God, that woman could throw a meal together! He was so sick of restaurant food, and he hated cooking himself. Trapnest was touring, and they ate take out dinners that were either delivered to their rooms, or they had some gopher go pick them up. But Hachi's homemade meal was superb. He especially loved the juicy tomatoes that were not too ripe, but were succulent and tasty! He chuckled as he recalled Nana's state when he sat down on the floor as she cut up those tomatoes. She was silly … he thought she must be over reacting, until she wished him and his group good luck on their tour, and to "keep up the good work." She seriously recognized them for their work and talent.

As she flitted around the small apartment that night like a busy hummingbird, refilling dishes, serving everyone, being the perfect hostess, he was enthralled. Most fan girls would be trying to get close to him, staring at him, even coming on to him, but not this girl. She wasn't ignoring him, but she wasn't exactly falling over herself to get to him either. "Interesting…" he thought, as he watched her pick up the dishes and carry them to the sink.

Then she disappeared into a bedroom with Shin and Nobu, playing cards. "Very interesting," he surmised as he reached for another beer.

"Hey Nana," he called to Ren's girl, Nana O., "Any more beer?"

That's when Nana O. had sent Nobu off to get more beer. What surprised him was how Hachi had volunteered to go with Nobu to help him carry it.

"Gets better all the time," Takumi concluded.

After Hachi and Nobu had left he got the phone call from the Trapnest manager, asking him to come over and work on their next location coming up in two days time.

"Time for the fun to begin," Takumi told Ren and the others as he got up to leave.

"Another one of your late night rendezvous, _ne_ Takumi?" Ren chided.

"Yep, you know how it is. They just can't get enough of me." He picked up his pack of cigarettes, placed them in his shirt pocket and headed to the door.

"Takumi has a booty call!" yelled Shin.

"You were lucky at Mah Jong tonight Shin, next time I'll show you how to really play," he said with false bravado.

"Hey Takumi," Shin rebounded, "Remember that promise!"

As Takumi headed down the seven flights of stairs from the apartment he had regretted not being able to wait until Hachi returned. There was definitely something about that girl that intrigued him. She was cute, not beautiful. It wasn't anything he could put his finger on… but he liked her. He liked the sound of her laughter when she joked with her friends, and how much she gave of herself in cooking for them. Not to mention how delicious her meal was! Maybe it was something about the innocence she personified, so unscathed by the world that he lived in.

He would ask Ren or Yasu for her phone number, because this wasn't the end of Nana Komatsu.

And he had done just that... He sighed as he recalled their first night together.

Taking a deep drag off of his cigarette he remembered the warm, reddened cheeks as he walked up to her while she gazed outside the hotel's high wall of glass in their suite. The window was uncovered, and went from floor to ceiling.

Takumi sauntered up behind her and nuzzled his nose into her hair, as he wrapped his hands around her collarbone, pulling her back into his chest.

Below them, Tokyo shimmered with night life, and above them the half moon shone bright and clear, illuminating the gold in Nana's hair.

Nana took a step back and Takumi's free hand slid up to her neck, pulling her in. Takumi's mouth leaned in firmly over hers. Nana froze, stunned by the action. When a soft tongue teased the crease of her lips she reacted without thinking. She opened and Takumi's tongue immediately slid into her mouth. Nana clutched the man's arms and moaned as Takumi's tongue began to massage hers. Her body began to warm and her knees weakened.

"Hold up for me, love," Takumi whispered against her lips. "There's so much more to come."

"May I -- may I ask you something?" Nana said hesitantly.

Takumi tried to catch her eye in the reflection of the window, but her gaze was skittish. He looked outside to study the evening skyline instead. "Of course."

Without the pressure of Takumi's gaze, Nana was able to look at the musician's reflection. "Why are you here? Why ... with me?"

_Because you are the most intriguing creature I have ever met in my life_, Takumi thought to himself. _You have an allure to weaken my knees and yet you are unaware of it yourself._

But such words might have scared her away, so he said instead, "I find you refreshing. The work that I do can be lonely and tiresome. It's enough to make a man lose interest in that which used to make him happy. You, on the other hand, are the opposite of all of that. At the risk of sounding like I'm courting you" -- _which I am_ -- "you are the light that someone like me, yearns for."

Takumi leaned down and kissed her so tenderly... Nana had never dreamed it would be so soft, so gentle that it left her in a quivering puddle at the man's feet. Lips coaxed her own. Utterly trusting, she opened to Takumi, allowing a curious tongue to slip forward and enter his mouth in an intimate joining.

She moaned at the tender invasion, losing the strength to stand. Takumi caught her, pressing her back against him. Nothing could drown out the sound of her heartbeat stampeding wildly in Nana's chest. Her senses were spinning. She could hardly breathe. It was almost frightening how quickly and completely she was losing control of her body and yet it was exciting. To give in to Takumi's knowledgeable caresses, to surrender herself to his confidence, knowing that she was being led to a wondrous place ... _Never let this end,_ Nana thought dizzily, _never_.

Takumi's tongue stroked over her own. It pumped across that wet flesh in an elemental rhythm that made Nana tighten her legs around a raging, pulsing need. Timidly, Nana let her tongue entangle with his and when she did, Takumi moaned into her mouth. Nana nearly exploded at the sound. Takumi's passion. For her. _Because_ of her. Nana's own moan eclipsed Takumi's as she clutched helplessly at the window in front of her. She was so weak she feared she might collapse.

Takumi's mouth tore away from hers to whisper, "Breathe, Nana. Breathe. I've got you." The hands around Nana's waist stroked her comfortingly. "You're doing fine." He gently turned her to face him and wrapped her in his arms.

Then he was back to kissing the length of her neck again and there was no room left in Nana's consciousness for anything else. She leaned more boldly into him now, urging bodies together more tightly. She wanted to climb onto Takumi. She wanted to merge with him so that all she felt for the rest of his life was _this_.

As her knees buckled under her from his caressing kisses along her neck and throat, Takumi reached down and in one fell swoop took Nana into his arms and carried her to the bed.

He laid her down and with his dark eyes, he took in her beauty and he was heightened with lust. She was no longer timid. He knew this wasn't her first time, but it was her first time with him.

"I need to slow you down, Nana. You're like a wild mare running loose." Takumi bent and brushed his lips over Nana's. "But don't worry. I'm more than up to the challenge of taming you. We've a long night ahead of us, love. This is only the beginning."

He dipped down to kiss her, and slowly coaxed her mouth open again. Their tongues languishingly explored each other's mouths as he caressed her neck and then gently pulled the bathrobe off her shoulder, exposing her milky white shoulder.

He nuzzled her ear, and interchangeably kissed and licked her ear and lobe, tugging on her ear lobe with his teeth, exploring and nibbling his way down her neck. She shivered, and it made him smile because she was so honest with her reactions. She didn't try to fake modesty or come on too strong, she ran her fingers in his hair and pulled him in closer to her.

When Nana trembled at the feel of Takumi's tongue sliding up the curve of her ear, Takumi did it again, mercilessly licking until Hachi twisted beneath him. And when the legs on either side of his hips fell open just a little more, Takumi rolled himself hard against Nana's warmth to make her moan.

Takumi pushed his hips against Nana in time, and it dazed Hachi's senses, it felt like she was being penetrated by Takumi and consumed by him at the same time. It was a rhythm meant to unravel her, without even entering her.

He let release a low growl, "Mmm you smell so fresh and clean," he mumbled as he opened her bathrobe even wider, slipping his hand in and very lightly brushing over her breasts. She shivered again, turning her head to the side with a moan. That pleased him, to see how quickly she reacted to his touch. Yes, she was a very honest and passionate woman.

He pulled himself up in order to get a full view of her. She didn't try to cover herself, but just stared back at him, with a slight embarrassment, and a very intense look of longing. He raised her left arm above her and kissed the tender underarm area, which he discovered to be very ticklish for her. He didn't let her pull away, as he grinned to himself, he continued a path down along the far side of her left breast while slowly dragging his left hand up and down her right arm ever so softly, barely touching her. His feather-like strokes sent chills through Hachi. The only part of Takumi she could reach was his head and shoulders, so she continued to play with his long, silky hair.

"I love your hair, Takumi." She whispered, "It's amazing."

With that he brought himself up and over her once again, and leaned down into her so that his hair lightly dragged on top of her … very slowly sweeping his hair up and down her breasts and stomach. "Oh God," Hachi called out, as he continued sweeping his hair lightly across her torso again and again she clenched the sides of the sheets next to her. That action brought such a rise of passion out of her that she lifted herself up and pulled Takumi to her, and kissed him deeply. She pressed herself against Takumi, wanting him. She loved the feel of herself against his naked chest. He tenderly pushed her back down, and raised himself up on his hands just enough to be centimeters away. His hair fell down over her and she loved the feeling it gave them, it was so private and personal, who knew that long hair would be such a turn on?

Takumi gently grazed her body with his own, hovering himself over her, he let his chest barely touch her nipples. He showered her face with soft, ghostlike kisses, as he felt her nipples grow hard under him. Hachi tried to press into him but he lifted away teasingly. She knew it excited him as well, because she felt his manhood growing harder as he teased her.

"Takumi, I want you," she admitted openly.

"I know," he said a bit too arrogantly. "But you'll have to wait."

He resumed his shower of kisses, stopping to suck on her chin, and then continuing down her neck. He kissed her directly down in the middle of her breasts, and then around each one… with this palm of his hand he brushed over each pink bud, and she started squeezing her legs together. "Patience, sweet Nana, Patience."

"I thought you were in hurry!" she accused with exasperation, recalling how he openly kissed her in public, at a traffic light and then quickly suggested they have dinner in the hotel!

"I am" he agreed, "Now, let me show you how come I play bass so well."

With that he reached down between them, and gently caressed her with his feathery touches, almost as if his fingers were like a soft rain. He drew small circles around her belly, then traced a light trail down her abdomen. Hachi felt her hips lifting up, rising of their own accord, trying to get him closer to her heat, but he just reached further down, on her inner thigh, and continued playing his silent masterpiece on her inner leg, moving ever so slowly up.

Hachi was aching to be touched, she ached for his entrance, and tugged on his hair as he suckled her breasts. He grinned at her impatience, and reached in between her folds, probing her, and finally entering her with his middle finger. She threw her head back and gasped, as his thumb found its target and rubbed against her. It was as if she had become illuminated, gasping and softly moaning. Damn she turned him on with her openness!

He continued to work her, as he lightly kissed her belly. She breathed in deeply, causing her tummy to tuck in, while rising to meet his fingers, and give them better access. She opened her legs wider as he kissed his way down lower.

She jumped at the first wave of electricity shot through her. Takumi felt her response, and could tell by how wet she was that she craved him now. He continued to play with her with his fingers, moving them masterfully in and out of her, while his thumb conquered her.

"_Now_ Takumi!" cried Hachi, "I want you inside me now!"

But this was only his appetizer… and he planned on having at least a five or six course meal of Hachi tonight. This woman was amazing. She was passionate, and she wanted him.

She hadn't tried to nail him down with any sort of commitment beforehand. He liked how she responded to his every touch, and how she didn't try to make anything more of it. She gave herself to him freely. What was it that she said? "I'm not worth spending the whole night with anyway."

He couldn't spend the whole night with her, because of the tour the following day, but the time he could spend would be spent showing her just how much she was worth.

Spreading her legs completely open, he took her with his mouth, and sheer pleasure filled him as he watched her buck fiercely. He used his tongue expertly as he suckled and let it dance in and out, around and flickered against her most intimate pleasure nub.

The taste and smell of Nana spurred Takumi nearly over the edge. He swirled his tongue wetly inside her, sucking and licking all that he could reach, before he had to pull away. Nana whimpered and yanked at Takumi's hair, trying to urge him back, but Takumi would have none of it. He refused to rush this.

She screamed out his name as she desperately reached for him, but he responded by grinding his face in deeper, moaning himself, while his own hardness throbbed.

He loved her taste, and lapped up her juices, driving her to a point of no return.

The turbulent waves rolled up her body as she frantically grabbed at the sheets. Takumi raised his head to watch her as she gave in to her climax, she looked beautiful. The spasms shot through her in every direction with a rush of an explosion.

She was breathing so hard that he watched her chest rise and fall as it glistened with perspiration.

He moved to lie next to her and kissed her while moving strands of hair from her face, where it stuck, wet and tangled. She could taste herself on his lips, amazed at his unselfishness as a lover. She sighed deeply into his mouth as he raised himself to look into her eyes.

She was still glowing, and he liked it.

"Why do they call you Hachi?" he asked curiously.

Her eyes closed as she tried to calm her breathing. She smiled at the name, and replied, "Nana gave that name to me, because she says I'm like a puppy. I can be very needy I guess." She shrugged, "Maybe I need lots of attention."

"Is that so?" replied Takumi. "A puppy, eh?"

With a knowing smirk, he leaned down for a deep kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt of his glorious hair again, running her fingers through it.

He quickly pulled her up into a sitting position, broke the kiss, and then swiftly turned her around to face the bed.

"Takumi?" she questioned.

"Time for the second course of my meal, little Miss Puppy," he responded. And with that he lifted her up onto all fours, while he leaned over her and began kissing her the nape of her neck. She leaned forward, unsure of this position, and he rocked her gently back closer to him. He nibbled and kissed her back, almost like tracing a map on it, inch by inch and she began a gentle rocking motion on her own.

He reached around her and claimed both of her breasts with his hands, and squeezed firmly and then bringing each nipple to a tip he tugged and then returned the caressing. She arched her back downwards, trying to lean into his palms and get closer to him with her rear. She rubbed herself against him, feeling of his hardness, and wanting to sheath it within her. The rocking had increased, and he knew it was time to take her.

He released her breasts and slowly moved each hand up and down the backs of her thighs, with his feathery touch, each finger pad lightly trickling across the backs of her legs, as if they played on an invisible piano.

She pressed backward against him, and he couldn't resist any longer.

He guided himself just to her entry, rubbing himself in between her folds. Nana was impatient, already dripping for him, she pressed back into him, but Takumi responded by slowly pressing the tip of his member into her, torturing her with the sensation of promise. Hachi didn't want him slow or gentle now, she wanted him inside her, completely! She pushed back up against him, impaling herself with him, sucking him into her. She threw her head back with pleasure as she felt him enter her. God, he was so hard and manly! Takumi hissed with pleasure.

He grasped her hips as he began to pump her… she felt so good to him. She wiggled and writhed magically responding to him, tightening her muscles and the hold on him inside, while she shimmied her hips for him. He was in complete ecstasy. This woman was incredible!

"God, Nana, you're going to be the end of me if you keep this up!"

He leaned in closer, pulling her to him, he could feel how tight she was, as he crashed up against her abdomen. She was on fire as she went into a frenzy, and banged back and forth, increasing her speed and strong hold on him.

"_Moto_!" She moaned, "More, More!"

The sound of flesh slapping together increased with each time that she slammed herself against him. He squeezed her tight, white globes, loving how small and petite she was! He felt her moan intensify and couldn't believe that she was coming again so quickly!

He wanted to see her face again as she came, so he abruptly stopped, pulled out, and she almost screamed in disappointment.

He would have chuckled at the control he had over her, if he wasn't so desperate in need for her at this moment! He was losing himself in her.

"I want to see you, Nana."

He laid on his back, and brought her on top of him. Her head leaned forward and because of her hair falling forward, he couldn't see her face.

"Nana," he reached for her chin and raised it higher, "I need to see you."

She slowly looked up at him, and had tears in her eyes. He froze.

"Oh God, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

She shook her head, and rose up to take him inside her. She held him pressed up against her entrance, just rubbing his tip up and down her folds. Takumi closed his eyes as he felt the throbbing pleasure. He smiled as she slowly pressed down onto him, then pulled back up and out… repeating this sweet torture again and again.

He reached up to her breasts and pinched her nipples before squeezing them together. He sat up to suckle them and let Nana sit into a lap as he continued to enter her. He held her against him, and she strongly grinded on top of him. She began gyrating her hips into figure eight motions, and he pushed himself as far in as possible. Her inner muscles squeezed him tighter and he could no longer hold back.

As he quickened his pace, pushing in harder, Nana leaned in to kiss him. In the middle of the kiss she pulled away to scream. The knowledge of her climax, and the sudden tightening of the muscles along his swollen shaft made Takumi groan gutturally on Nana's throat. His seed shot from his body with a force that shook him. His teeth bit softly into her neck and deep inside Nana, Takumi made his presence known. He leaned fully into her, laying her on her back.

Takumi's entire body shivered with reaction. His arms shook, unable to hold himself up. Pulling air into his strained lungs, he collapsed on top Nana.

They both embraced each other, facing each other and held on so tight that when they pulled apart, they were both covered in sweat.

She smiled dazedly at him and leaned forward to start licking his lips with her tongue.

Takumi chuckled, and said, "I guess you are kind of like a puppy after all."

She ribbed him with her elbow, and he pulled up her chin so she could look at him, "Don't ever think you're not worth an entire night," he said with a serious look on his face. He meant it too. She was unlike any other woman he had had sex with. And it wasn't just about the sex either. Something about her drew him in so entirely that it scared him.

"Takumi must have a lot of "puppies"," Hachi realized she had said that out loud, and then covered her mouth in surprise.

He just laughed in return, and leaned in to kiss her, "Not as many as everyone seems to think."

He leaned over her with all of his weight, laying her down again, kissing her and combing back her hair with his fingers. Hachi tried to look up at the clock to see what time it was because she knew he had to meet the tour bus at dawn.

"Don't worry about it, Nana," he whispered into her ear, "I still have at least four more courses to go."

Her eyes opened wide at that revelation, "You're going to kill me! I won't be able to walk tomorrow."

He chuckled as he kissed the tip of her nose, "Something tells me you've either only been with boys, or old men. Either way, they were very selfish lovers."

He eased out of bed and went to the mini bar and filled up two glasses of water, and brought them back.

As she drank greedily from the glass, he moved across the room and got a chair from the dining table in their suite, and brought it next to the closet which had sliding mirrored doors. She looked up at him and asked, "What are you doing now, rearranging the furniture?"

He smiled and threw his head back as he emptied his glass of water.

"Nana, you're beautiful when you make love. I want you to see yourself, see how you look," as he lowered himself into the chair.

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"I want you to face me and sit near the edge of the bed."

"Eh?" was all that she managed to reply.

"Nana, just do it, sit near the edge of the bed and face me."

She shrugged as she moved nervously onto the edge of the bed and faced Takumi. "Now what?"

"Now you're going to pleasure yourself, while I watch you, and you're going to look into the mirror while you do it."

"_EHHH!_" Nana yelled. "Ecchi! No way! Impossible!" She shook her head back and forth closing her eyes.

"Course three, Nana," Takumi instructed, "I know you want to give me pleasure, _ne_?"

She couldn't believe what he was asking her to do. This man was… insatiable! How could any woman do this and not die from embarrassment? How appalling to even attempt such a thing!

Takumi had his eyes hooded with anticipation, "Nana," he said softly to her, "Pretend it's me touching you. Watch me watch you."

He licked his lips seductively, and she let out a nervous laugh. She lowered her head, and looked down at her hands. Was she really going to try and do this crazy thing? She had never masturbated in her life, and now in front of this man? Trapnest's Takumi Ichinose!

"I'm waiting Nana," he prodded, "You can do this, for me."

She looked up at him, silently pleading him to change his mind, but he wouldn't budge. She drew a deep sigh and then thanked the Demon King that the lights were out, and the only illumination in the room came from the city lights and the half moon that reflected in the skyscraper windows.

Her left hand tenuously began to feel of her own right breast. Takumi lowered his voice and huskily instructed, "Softly Nana, ever so softly… those are my hands, remember?" She flashed a glare at him but he only continued to stare at her, resolute and determined as hell.

She lightly brushed both of her palms across each breast, and closed her eyes as she leaned her head back. "Now lightly squeeze each one," Takumi coached her.

She felt pleasure in hearing his voice, and pretended that this was indeed Takumi touching her. Her hands explored her own body, tentatively at first, and then more confidently as she caressed, squeezed, and rubbed her upper torso all over.

"Nana, take your right hand, and lick your first two fingers," her coach continued, "Suck on them for me." She followed his instructions again, and sucked on her own fingers barely opening her eyes as she peeked over at him. His eyes were fully dilated, as he held the armrests of his captain's chair.

"I want you to feel yourself, Nana," he told her, "Bring your fingers down and let them discover your wetness. Feel how hot you are inside."

Nana opened her eyes and looked directly at Takumi, "Now, Nana, now."

Her pulse raced as she reached down and felt of herself, she closed her eyes and tossed her head back as she let a moan escape. Oh this felt so good! She clumsily copied what Takumi had done earlier, with his own hands, just much less adeptly.

The moonlight shone from the windows, casting his face in dim light, but Hachi could still read the hunger there in Takumi's eyes.

Takumi's grin of satisfaction spread as he felt himself grow hard. Takumi's eyes were riveted to Nana's hands and the path they took as they rubbed up and down. He shuddered. She was a virgin to this, and that gave him even greater satisfaction. He coaxed her gently, "Find the clitoris, at the tip of your entrance, Nana," he directed, "You'll know when you find it" he encouraged, "Rub it, fast and hard."

She tried to find the spot he had found so expertly earlier, but she was not so sure where it was! She knew the general vicinity, but she fumbled around clumsily until a jolt went through her. She gasped.

"That's it, Nana," he congratulated her, "Now move your fingers faster, and harder."

Her head leaned further back as she felt the bubbling heat come below her. Takumi ached as he watched her in all her glory. God this was sweet torture! He hurt just watching her!

Her moaning deepened and grew louder, when Takumi commanded, "Open your eyes, Nana, and look at yourself in the mirror!"

She didn't even question him anymore, she was lost in a sea of passion, and couldn't stop even if she wanted to. She opened her eyes, and watched herself as she continued to feel the ripples of shock waves go through her. She watched him watch her.

"Nana, imagine that I'm inside your body. Imagine that you've parted your legs for me and allowed me to dip inside -- deep where you're most sensitive. Where it makes you moan to feel me."

Her head rolled back, but she kept her eyes hooded and held Takumi's eyes to hers, also watching her own seductive reflection in the mirror behind him. Takumi sunk lower into his chair.

"Takumi…" Hachi panted as she worked herself harder. Faster.

"God, you're so erotic!" he whispered, straining to keep from jacking off while watching her. This was so fulfilling, just watching her come.

"Nana, my pleasure is yours. And yours is mine."

Those words burned in her as she saw what he had seen for the first time, she saw what she looked liked when she climaxed. The heat burst into an explosion and she screamed, as she collapsed backwards onto the bed.

He pounced on her immediately and deeply kissed her mouth, mounting her without hesitation. He grinded his teeth together as he leaned down to her right ear, and said, "Course four will have to be a short one love, _Gomen!_ You're just too damn sexy for me to bear anymore."

He raised her legs up onto his shoulders and leaned down forward as far as she would allow, bending her into position that sent him soaring. She didn't complain, and permitted him to discover just how flexible she really was. They both groaned loudly as Takumi slowly eased in, his body squeezing every inch that pushed into it. By the time he'd settled against Nana's buttocks, Takumi was on the verge of release. Below him, Nana didn't look much better.

"You're so tight -- so tight!"

Takumi arched his neck back as Nana gave an experimental squeeze. "Ah, God! Don't!"

Hachi giggled, suddenly loving this position. "Why, Takumi? Does that feel good?" She did it again and was rewarded with Takumi's shuddery moan. The sound made Hachi shiver.

Takumi's eyes turned black as he watched Nana's reaction. "The way you look right now . . ." he sighed hungrily.

"Take me," Nana demanded, bracing her hands on the sides of the bed. "Take me hard, Takumi. I want to feel you!"

Unable to stand it, Takumi pounded deep inside Nana, pumping her furiously.

"Oh God, Takumi," Nana cried, "Slow down! I'm going to … going to…!"

"Nana," he whispered. There was more in his voice than even _he_ expected to hear.

A little afraid, a little desperate, Takumi bore down on the slender body beneath his. He lifted Nana's leg higher and angled himself carefully. He began to make short, hard jabs directly against the center of Hachi's pleasure. She let out a strangled cry, her head arching back against the pillow. Her nails dug into Takumi's skin painfully. The musician knew this was the end for them both and began to piston faster.

Hachi's voice grew hoarse with her short cries. Takumi had never heard anyone lose their voice while in the throes of their passion. It left his mouth dry, his heart a stampeding pain in his chest. Not thinking at all, controlled by forces he couldn't name, he leaned forward and muffled Nana's cries with his mouth.

As he felt himself ebbing and flowing into the electrical current, he released her legs, and lay on top of her, so he could kiss her.

"Do it," Takumi rasped, her body tightened as orgasm roared up on her. "God, Nana, _come for me!_"

He then sucked on the pulse at her collarbone leaving a purple mark as he thrust harder and faster. A cry came shooting from his mouth as climaxed. Takumi managed to peel his eyelids open in time to see Nana's face flush with color as her release overcame her.

Takumi leaned over her and kissed her gently, talking her through the intense release as Nana shook and shivered beneath him. She moaned as she finally collapsed beneath weakly.

Both of them were drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. He drew a deep breath and exhaled. "If that isn't cigarette material, I don't know what is!" He said as he leaned over and withdrew one of his Gitanes. He gently stroked her arm with a fingertip as he watched her start to doze off to sleep.

Reaching for her hair, he carefully ran his fingers through it, smiling to himself as he realized his hair was just a tad bit longer than hers. He listened to their hearts slow to a reasonable pace as he watched the smoke he exhaled. What kind of crazy madness was this, that caused him to feel as if he were sinking deeply into a pool of quicksand… but instead of feeling panicked, he felt warmth, and reassurance? It made no sense.

He took a few more drags from his cigarette before extinguishing it, and cradled up her against him.

"_Ne_, Nana, we still have two more courses to go… no sleeping allowed just yet."

She smiled lazily and knew the man must be kidding… it was already well past midnight, and she knew he had to go soon. He kissed her forehead, her nose and then gently brushed his lips against her mouth.

"I guess we can skip course five, and move on to six, if you're that tired," he concluded.

"Takumi has to leave soon," Nana whispered almost asleep now.

"Course six calls for a change of scenery," he said affirmatively, "I am thinking the shower will do just fine." He gathered her into his arms, and carried her into the bathroom. Hachi opened her eyes wide, "You're kidding right?"

"One thing I never kid about," said Takumi, "is my sixth course!"

And with that he reached to turn on the shower.

A horn blasted behind him, bringing him out of his revelry. Damn, he had completely forgotten he was driving to meet the tour bus and had zoned out! His Nana was no ordinary woman. _Hi_s?

He glanced down to his lap, and smirked at the tent that he saw. He briefly cupped himself to try and ease the discomfort. Miss Nana Komatsu had given him a hard on just remembering their night together! He readjusted his his trousers pushing himself back down as he lit a second cigarette with his first one.

He would just have to look her up again, when he got back from tour. She owed him a home cooked meal, and he owed her course number five. He could think of so many more courses for her! She was a light weight after all, and only able to deal with a few courses last night, he chuckled to himself.

He thought about how they'd have to start all over from course one again, since he enjoyed her so much! He never had a six course night before, he chuckled. He only arrogantly ever fantasized that he could perhaps fulfill this desire one night in the future. But that future was upon him now, with Nana. He knew he would never get enough of her. He would see her again, and again.

The cars ahead of him had increased from a stand still to a slow crawl, and Takumi realized how much he had wanted Nana in his life, forever. He fingered an unlit cigarette and tried to remember when the deciding factor was for him? And as he tucked the remaining unlit cigarette behind one of his ears, he looked at his reflection again in the rear view mirror.

"It was from that first night… I claimed her as mine then." If he hadn't, he would have protected himself, the way he did with his other lovers. He would have asked if she had been taking birth control, and even if the answer was yes, he would have used protection. It wasn't like him to be so reckless. He knew that subconsciously he must have wanted Nana to become his, in every way possible, including being the mother of his children.

"And now she may leave you, you dumbass fool." He wouldn't let that happen. Nana was a part of his life, a part of _him. _He would do whatever it took to hold her where she belonged, next to him. He would protect her and their baby. He would try and become less angry with her when she defied him.

A cold chill ran up his back, "What if it's not enough? What if she does leave me?"

He reached down to turn the volume of the CD player up higher, trying to drown out his own insecurities. He would never let that happen. Leaving wasn't an option. He knew what her weakness was, and he would exploit it as often as he could, making love to her and showering her with attention so that she knew how much he loved her.

"No my love, neither of us have the luxury of surviving without the other anymore."

He would have to talk to his manager soon about moving up their wedding date. He wanted Nana Komatsu to become Nana Ichinose soon, so she would know how committed her was to her.

"She has changed your life," he dawned with reason, "It's no longer just you anymore, and never will be from this day forward." The realization warmed him with comfort and love.

With thoughts of a new found family he took eased the Mercedes forward, just opposite the speed he brought Nana into his life…full speed ahead, with no regrets.


	4. Chapter 3: Noble Nobu

**Disclaimer**: All of these characters belong to the genius of Ai Yazawa.

**Summary**: This chapter is based on Volume 6 of Ai Sensei's manga, Nana. However this story is mine... this chapter is told in first person, from Hachi's perspective.

**Chapter 3: Noble Nobu**

_Nana, you know how impatient I can be sometimes. Trapnest will be gone on tour for six weeks. Six weeks!_

_Their tour ends on July 7th, with a concert here in Tokyo. What is it with us and sevens? It's the Demon King! It must be! And it was the Demon King that brought him into my life..._

_Even though I have his email address and cell phone number programmed in my mobile phone, I don't need to look at my contact list to dial it. I've memorized it._

_He's only been gone for one week, and already I feel like those ice cubes. You know the ones... we put an ice tray into that old freezer of ours, and it took forver to freeze. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed that every time I pulled that tray out, anti__cipating a refreshing ice cold drink, I could see the water bubbling below a thin, fragile layer of the beginnings of ice._

_Nana you told me to wait, and to leave it alone... but I never listen, do I? I wanted my tea to be iced, and I attempted to use the cubes before they had completed their metamorphisis from liquid to solid... the crystal outer shell completely dissolved wit__hin seconds of touching the room temperature tea._

_Nana, I'm that fragile layer of crystal... he hasn't called me, or emailed me, or answered his text message I sent him. You told me he was a player, and not to get too close to him._

_I touched him Nana, and I dissolved._

"Nobuo" is what Nana calls him. That's her nickname for Nobu, just as Hachi is her nickname for me. He is so carefree, and I can tell he admires Nana a great deal. The night he came tand knocked on 707's door, he changed Nana's life. He brought back music to her soul and played his guitar just for her.

Nobu is like me, he likes to see people happy. He makes us all smile with his self-depreciating 'short' jokes, and always tries to do the right thing, like stop drinking. He's even trying to help Shin to stop smoking.

When I go to the studio and watch them rehearse, Nobu smiles at me while he plays his guitar...he's a sweet young man, and doesn't have a clue as to how fickle and impure I can be. I think Nobu idolizes women. He must, because he thinks I'm a good person.

Nobu... as I watch you play your guitar I notice that you're not really that short, you just aren't as tall as Yasu and Takumi. Takumi. Takumi. I need to forget about Takumi.

As you run your hand through your short hair I recall what Nana said to me, "Hey Hachi, Mizukoshi from the store, Takumi, and Shouji... you like long hair ne? Do you have a long hair fetish?"

I almost fell out of my chair. I over-reacted and tried to tell her I liked short haired guys, but Takumi's hair, as he dragged it across and down my body ... and the way it curtained us off from the world as he laid on top of me and kissed me... I must forget about Takumi!

Why can't I tell Nana about Takumi?

Why can't I tell you, Nobu?

I can't confide in anyone.

It's been almost six months since Shouji... yes, Nobu, if you knew how fickle I am, you wouldn't be smiling at me now.

"Ne Hachi, I'll walk with you home."

"But Nobu, it's not in the same direction as your apartment, and you'll be going out of your way."

"Shin never comes home to the apartment anymore," Nobu replied weakly, "It's kind of lonesome there anyway. Is it ok with you?"

She smiled at him and nodded as they headed out together. The riverwalk was about 6 blocks from the studio, and the way the moon shimmered on the river made it look picturesque. _Hard to believe I almost threw myself in that river six months ago, when I found out about Sachiko and Shouji._

Nobu kicked a pebble up the path as he walked.

She didn't feel like she she had to span across the silence, it was comfortable just walking next to Nobu, even without talking.

"How's your job as the food demonstrator coming for you Hachi?"

"It's awesome Nobu, I get all the free food I want while I'm working!"

He laughed and kept kicking the pebble forward.

"I'm glad you like your new job Hachi. You seem happier now ... then before."

Hachi knew what Nobu was referring to, he knew about Shouji and Sachiko.

"Ah well, yeah." she admitted, "It wasn't easy at first. You know I guess I was just numb at first...and then I wanted to scratch his eyes out..." She recalled the hurt she felt from Shouji's betrayal, "And then I wanted to scratch _HER_ eyes out." Nobu kicked the pebble, and Hachi continued, "And then... I wanted him to feel it, every time I scratched someone else's back in the throes of passion, I wanted him to feel it." It was the most open she had ever been with Nobu.

He paused in the pathway... staring out to the river, watching the moon's reflection dance across the surface. "And now?" he asked her softly.

Hachi looked down onto the pathway, studying the pebble that Nobu had abandoned.

"Now... I just don't want to see him...I don't want to know anything about him, or have him know anything about me." She shrugged and reached back her foot, and kicked the pebble forward.

"I see." was his only reply.

Hachi half skipped up to the pebble, "How about you, Nobu? Any new convenience store girls in your horizon?" He smiled at her reference to an earlier conversation they had had the night when she and he went out for beer and cigarettes, when Takumi and Ren had come over to Room 707 to play Mah Jong. _Takumi._

"I am going to make music my priority now, Hachi." He carried his guitar on his back with a shoulder strap, and readjusted it, as if to confirm his decision.

"I really want Blast to succeed. We're good. We can make it. With Nana's vocals, and our music, we can do this."

Nana kicked the pebble again, and it strayed a bit from the path so she ran after it and picked it off the grass, returning it to the path. "And what about your job? What about your family?"

Nobu looked down at Hachi taking aim at the pebble and sighed, "My family wants me to go home and run the inn, and take over the business. They have high expectations of me, but none of those expectactions involve music. So I will continue to work part time, odd jobs, until Blast makes it."

Hachi waited for Nobu to kick the pebble, and as if he read her mind, he complied.

"You'll do it. It _will_ happen. You're right Nobu, Blast will make it! You'll have so many fans, and crazy girls after you that you'll forget about your meager beginnings, about the times you ate ramen for dinner every night, or the nights you had to sell your body for money."

"_WHAT?_" Nobu proclaimed, "I think you're mistaking me for Shin-kun!"

They both laughed... but Hachi thought about the night of the Mah Jong game, when Ren and Takumi had come over, she woke up the next morning with Shin in her bed. She remembered his words when she had asked him him what he was doing there, and did anything happen between them. "_No, Hachi didn't pay me."_

She took a deep breath, and lightly tugged onto Nobu's guitar case as passed by her, assisting their companion, the pebble with it's journey up the path. "Ne Nobu," she said softly, "I worry about Shin... you don't think..."

Nobu knew what she was going to ask, and he shrugged. "Shin is 15 going on 30, Hachi. He has been on his own for quite some time now. I think we should respect his privacy."

"Right." She agreed, "Ok, no more questions about Shin." She ran up to stand next to the pebble... "Nobu, every time you kick this pebble, I want you to ask me something about me, ok? And each time I kick it, I will ask you something about you. We keep asking questions until we get home, or we lose the pebble. Ok?"

Her face was glowing in the moonlight. He walked up to her and smiled gently. Hachi was very pretty. She didn't know it, but she was. He liked her hair... and her face... and her hands when she tried to explain something, how they went up to her lips... he liked the way her eyes grew larger when she was surprised, and she would seem to stare off into space. He liked everything about Hachi.

"How personal are we allowed to get?"

She looked down at the pebble and and then up to the evening sky. It was such a clear night, sprinkled with stars blinking softly down upon them.

"Sky's the limit!" She smiled, looking back him.

He met her smile and his eyes bore into hers. She saw a glimmer of something. They sparkled. And then he nodded, "Hachi..." it was almost a whisper... "I think we need a bigger rock."


	5. Chapter 4: Wrap Party

**Wrap Party**

Seven flights of stairs was a lot to climb at any given time, but most especially after finishing a tiresome month long road trip, closing with a three hour concert and end-of-tour wrap party. It was 3:00 a.m. and Takumi took a drag from his Gitanes cigarette before continuing the upward trek. The circumstances that brought him here were completely unpredictable, and yet it was although it was a part of his destiny. _Damnable gaki! Who did Nobu think he was?_

Each step was slow and calculated. Each step brought feeling back to his limbs. He was here because Nobu had challenged him, and with that unspoken yet very defiant action, Takumi would lay claim to what he knew was his. He actually had been enjoying himself at the wrap party, socializing with his sponsors, smiling and flirting with several of the more important female following, and joking with Ren's friends, Nobu and Shin. It had been a pleasant relief, a fun way to climax the Trapnest Tour.

He had worked hard while on tour. He had to ensure that Reira, their lead vocalist was taken care of and didn't stray into trouble. He had to baby-sit Ren and make sure he wasn't using again. And Naoki was a child in a twenty-one year old body, always looking for the latest video games or manga to keep him occupied backstage or in the green rooms.

"Why can't I just have a normal, stable relationship for once in my life?" he thought.

Why not, indeed.

The closest thing Takumi had ever had to a solid relationship in his life now was with Reira. She was there for him during High School, she knew him and his background. She never looked down on him for having an alcoholic father who would beat on him. He had grown up with the beatings until he was finally old enough to strike back. It only took that once and then his father had left him alone. When his mother passed, Reira came to the memorial service.

He hesitated on the second floor landing and peered out the window before continuing upward.

Reira.

"Why did you have to fall in love with me?" he asked the invisible singer.

"_Why me?"_

Reira had known Takumi even longer than Ren. She had been a childhood friend who never seemed to want to leave his side. She was the little sister he never had. She was family. But the female heart has a way of misconstruing emotions, and the love she felt for him was much stronger than that of a sibling. She wanted to stay with him as a lover, as his partner, as his wife.

Takumi recalled her tinkling laugh, like little bells, when Shin had thrown his drink in his face. He looked down at his shirt and lifted the collar up to his nose to see if it wreaked of alcohol. Maybe it was a good thing that the boy was pacing himself and drinking water in between beers. Everyone could tell he was underage and the bartender pretended not to see Reira giving her beer orders to the young man.

"Baka, Reira!" he muttered as he continued his ascent up the stairs.

"Why must you always surround yourself with conflict and controversy?" he mused.

He hadn't meant to offend Ren's friends. He was just being honest, after all. They overreacted. They were overprotective. And by the look in Nobu's eyes, and the expression on his face, there was no doubt how he felt about the girl in question.

The fight had come out left field, when he had mentioned having sex with Nana Komatsu.

It was the truth. It was just a conversation between men. Under normal circumstances they would have joked about it, and possibly even asked for the sordid details. But obviously Nana Komatsu was not just any normal, ordinary girl to these boys. Obviously she was much more precious to them.

"So the young runt thinks he can compete with me?" he grunted as he continued on to the fourth flight of stairs.

"In what world does he think himself strong enough or good enough to do that?"

His cigarette had burned down to the butt, and Takumi dropped it and ground it into the 29th stair. Not that he was counting, but he was exhausted. And here he was at three fuckin' a.m. in the morning, climbing the Mount Fuji of apartment buildings for what?

"As if you don't know," he admonished himself.

He momentarily paused, in order to light up another Gitanes. He loved the acrid taste of this brand, and it made him feel much more relaxed when he smoked.

"She's under my skin," he admitted in a whisper.

He had gone four weeks without a woman. He didn't have time for them. They were always much more trouble than they were worth. The only time he even gave her a second thought was when he received her email, but even then he didn't answer it. Sure he had a wonderful night of passionate sex with her, but realistically, he hadn't thought much more about it since that night. His career and the band was paramount to everything else, and when he was on tour, nothing else mattered.

But as soon as Nobu had grabbed his collar and gotten in his face, he knew. He knew he missed her without even recognizing the symptoms. When Nobu challenged him by trying to protect her, Takumi had realized that someone else cared for her. If he was fool enough, Nobu might even try to go after her himself.

He should actually thank Nobu for starting that fight. It was the fight that reminded him of his promise to her. He had typically forgotten about it. After all, although he truly did enjoy her cooking and could not recall any other night that had given him more passion or satisfaction, it still boiled down to the fact that she was a woman. And even if she denied it, all women wanted relationships. Takumi didn't do relationships.

At least he hadn't, until now. Until Nobu and Shin reminded him of that promise.

"When you see Nobu again, you tell him this," he had told Ren an hour ago,"if he wants to compete with me, he should train another hundred years. And he should stop pretending to be someone else, since he can't even seduce a girl!"

He approached the fifth flight of stairs when he recalled what he had said to them that had angered them so:

"I don't need to sign an autograph anymore... we did it the next day." It was a talk between men. He should have remembered that the two boys were not yet mature enough to understand without taking offense.

"No, baka," he chided himself. "That's not why they got angry. It's when you told them 'She even wagged her tail for me,' then they actually lost it." And rightfully so. It was a crass thing to say. Especially because she was the friend of Ren's woman. He knew it as soon as he bragged about it that he shouldn't have said it.

Had they been surrounded by a group of sponsors or business men, nothing would have happened. No one would have been provoked. But because they were boys, they were so easily ignited, and didn't think before they acted. They had bravado, he admitted.

He smirked as he continued on to the sixth floor. Nobu could wank himself to sleep tonight, because he wasn't getting anywhere near Nana Komatsu. Takumi knew this was indeed part of his destiny, he hadn't been this sure about anything since Ren joined Trapnest.

It was the same as that moment, it was meant to be.

ooo00ooo00ooo

As soon as he held her in his arms he knew what he had been missing.

How could he have been so enthralled in the band's tour and business to have forgotten what she felt like. To have forgotten what warmth and tenderness that she exuded. He had her wrapped in his arms and had not even made it past the front door yet. She was so glad to see him that she was actually crying.

No one had ever cried because they were happy to see him. Well, not counting the frenzied fans that screamed his name with tears streaming down their unknown faces. But this girl knew him, and still wanted him.

She didn't even hear her roommate calling out to her. She was lost in him.

After holding up his index finger to his lips to shush away Nana O., the surprised roommate, Takumi lifted Nana K. into his arms and carried her into her room.

She immediately sought his mouth, hungrily, passionately, demanding access. She ran her fingers through his long strands of hair as she pulled his face closer to hers. And for several minutes she literally clung to him as she deepened their kiss. This was raw need, it was more too, it was almost like gratitude.

He was slightly confused as she started to claw at his buttons on his shirt, and he chuckled at her frustration over his belt. Her fingers couldn't work fast enough for her. She wanted him naked but was so impatient as she stripped him.

"I'm not going anywhere, Nana," he teased. "Calm down."

She didn't answer him, she just grunted at the zipper on his trousers and looked up at him with such want that it infused him with desire. She was like a mad woman with a craving, she had to have him and have him now.

The thought of her wanting him this badly immediately hardened Takumi into erection, and his pupils dilated with equal intensity. Oh how he would have her.

He pushed her trembling hands aside and make very short work of his trousers and boxers. He looked down on her and leered at her, she was delectable and he would eat her up from head to toe. Reaching for the hem of her night dress, he pulled it over her head in one swift movement.

She reached for him but he shook his head at her. He gently pushed her down onto the bed and raised both of her feet to his chest. He rubbed the bottom of her feet across his nipples and his eyes darkened with the feeling that rushed through him. He softly began to run his fingers up and down her calves and she whimpered.

Takumi brought one of a small, delicate foot up to his lips and began kissing her toes. Her eyes widened with surprise. What was he doing? Then he shocked her even further when he began sucking on her big toe. She gasped and quickly tried to withdraw her foot from his grasp. He shook his head at her, telling her without words that he was in charge, and that he would do this. He would do this and whatever else he wanted.

Hachi knew she would let him. When he brushed soft kisses down the plane of her foot and bit tenderly into her arch she nearly jumped off the bed. The man was going to torture her with his foreplay!

"Takumi," she begged. He had her pleading already.

He ignored her pleas and lifted both legs higher. She was such a vixen for not wearing any underwear under her nightdress! He could smell the want on her, as he bent lower and began kissing her calves, placing her feet behind him. He stopped at the fold behind her knee, and noticed how she was unconsciously stirring her hips at him.

He grinned at her reaction to his kisses and nibbles behind her knees, she was definitely ticklish. He kissed his way up her thigh, and then paid the other leg equal homage, repeating the same tender kisses intermingled with nips and sucking. When he reached the apex between her legs, she was already softly bucking and squirming.

He blew softly on the most tender spot of her body and she let out a cry.

"Please!" she pleaded.

"Please what, Nana?"

"Please take me, Takumi!"

"Oh I will have you, sweet girl," he chuckled at her impatience.

She was forever impatient! If he was a wagering man, he would bet she was wet before he even touched her. That's just how passionate this one is, she was like no other woman.

She squeezed her legs tightly around his neck. She didn't want any six course meal tonight. She wanted him buried in her, and now!

Takumi grunted with pleasure at her boldness, and any thoughts of dragging this out flew from his mind. He burrowed his face down into her sweetness, lapping up her juices and then sucking hard between her folds. He heard her moan loudly and knew by the bucking of her hips she wouldn't last long.

With the tip of his tongue, he hardened her pleasure nub just by merely brushing against it a few strokes, that was all it took for her to become engorged with want.

"Inside me, Takumi," her voice was raspy. "I need you inside me!"

He was still standing at the edge of her bed, and had her raised up to him. Her head and shoulders were the only thing that was touching the bed at this moment. She reached out for him, but her arms were not long enough to close the distance between them.

Takumi wasn't usually one to give in to such demands. He liked to take his time and savor his lovemaking. But he had not felt release for over four weeks, and suddenly he remembered what it was like to be sheathed by her. The warmth and tightness flashed into focus and it undid him.

"Nana, you will be the end of me," he whispered in compliance.

And with that he lowered her hips just enough to meet his. He held her legs widely apart and was flooded with raw need as he looked down on her. He plunged deeply into her, holding her legs apart as he pushed himself in. The immediate heat he felt surround him gave him so much pleasure that he had to close his eyes.

When she automatically tightened her walls around him, he had to withdraw as he sucked in air. She was a minx! He would be finished faster than a schoolboy if she kept this up!

"I see you missed me," he teased as he buried himself back inside her.

He ground himself in as deep as possible and she reached behind her and grabbed a pillow to bury her face in while she screamed.

After a few more gratifying plunges, Takumi lowered Nana's legs and wrapped them around his waist. He pushed her further up onto the bed so he could join her. Kneeling between her legs, he reached for the pillow. He lowered himself on top of her and kissed her deeply.

"I want to see you, Nana," he admitted.

He tossed the pillow aside and brushed the hair from her face.

His own hair enclosed them, and he whispered to her.

"If you have to scream, you will do it in my mouth, because I have to see your face."

The exhaustion that he had felt only hours ago had left him. He was revitalized with renewed strength that seemed to come from just being with her. She had a wondrous effect on him.

All thoughts of Nobu, Shin, Ren and Reira had dissolved from his mind as he lost himself in her. Nana was the only person at this moment in time that meant anything to him.

She had wanted him. She had actually missed him.

It wasn't the first time that he would come to this conclusion: Whether he deserved her or not, Nana Komatsu was meant for him. She was his destiny.


End file.
